great movie and concept on a very much needed topic

Down For Life is a good portrayal of gangster life in L.A. without relying on a ton of violence. Rather than simply showing what life appears to be like from the outside, it personalizes the story by allowing you to get into a young girl's mind and view gangster life from the inside. While the acting may have been amateur at times, Jessica Romero does a great job at portraying the character of Rascal. It was also a nice change to see a gangster movie convey the fact that bystanders are usually the ones who end up falling victim to gang violence. Overall, for an independent film and for the budget they had to work with, the movie was well made.